Customs duty

Hamster · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:04

I recently bought 8 CDs from an ebay seller from America. Cost was $56 for the CDs and $22.50 postage, totalling $78.50. Today i received a card from royal mail through the post saying that £11.96 customs charge is due before i can pick up the CDs. I thought the charge for CDs was 3.5%. Am i wrong or is there any way of disputing this?

JM

Gilly · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:12

JoeMama said:
Am i wrong or is there any way of disputing this?

Why don't you ask them?

Azagoth · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:25

I always assumed that 2nd hand goods were exempt from this thievery.

v0n · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:27

Any goods valued at more than £36.00 including delivery that are not marked as gift, replacement item or return to base are subject to customs and VAT. It looks like OP was just unlucky, few dollars less and it would be a freebie. There is usually "handling fee" as well...

Dist · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:30

When dealing with importing, you dont just get a % fee based on what goods you are importing and their value, but you also get charged for the handling/openeing/examining/repackaging of your goods.

When i imported some stuff from hong kong worth $626, i had to pay £70.67 duties, £10.18 insurance, and £11 "other governmt. charg.". so over £90 in customs charges in total.

So it could be the other charges that could explain high customs charges.

PhilthyPhil · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:31

Royal Mail will apply an £8 handling charge.

Amleto · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:34

do you get charged VAT on top of duty?

v0n · 30 Apr 2008 at 18:48

Amleto said:
do you get charged VAT on top of duty?

It goes duty on declared valuation + handling fee + VAT. VAT is always on top of everything.

Hamster · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:02

Thanks for replying. I spoke to customs who say it is likely to be RM handling charges, confirming what some of you have said. Spoke to RM who tell me that £8 handling charge would have been applied that they have to pay to customs.
I am guessing that the sender didn't mark them as a gift. The CDs aren't second hand btw. I'll be a bit more wary in future.

Amleto · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:10

it's illegal for senders to mark things as gifts if they are not - businesses getting caught doing that would be subject to a fairly hefty fine, I think.

danza · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:13

Azagoth said:
I always assumed that 2nd hand goods were exempt from this thievery.

Nope.

Energize · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:17

Amleto said:
it's illegal for senders to mark things as gifts if they are not - businesses getting caught doing that would be subject to a fairly hefty fine, I think.

Not all countries have those laws. In the USA there's no such thing at customs charges or VAT.

Dist · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:20

At the value of the CDs you got, you would still have to pay even if they are marked as gifts due to the overall value of what you are importing.

Lopéz · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:31

Energize said:
In the USA there's no such thing at customs charges or VAT.

Er, can you expand on that? Are you saying you do not have to pay duty on any items being imported into the USA?

Biohazard · 30 Apr 2008 at 19:37

Energize said:
Not all countries have those laws. In the USA there's no such thing at customs charges or VAT.

lol